Capresadillas

Well guys, the blackberries are almost gone. Have no fear, though, because tomato season is here! The cherry tomatoes in our garden have started to ripen which has inspired me to think up all kinds of tomato recipes. Don’t worry, I won’t go as crazy with tomatoes as I did with blackberries….er, or, at least I’ll try not to. 😉

Along with garden fresh produce being available, grilling is one of my favorite things about summer. That’s the great thing about the quesadilla recipe I am sharing with you today….they are cooked on the grill!

Let’s get to the caprese quesadillas…aka, capresadillas 🙂

Start with the tomatoes. Cut the tomato in half and then we’re going to cut half moon slices. Lay the slices flat in one layer and sprinkle with salt. This will help draw some of the moisture out of the tomatoes, so our quesadillas don’t get too mushy. Let them sit for 10 minutes.

Now we can fire up the grill to about medium heat, every grill is different so it’s hard to be more precise than that. We don’t have a charcoal grill, but if that’s what you use you want it at the heat you would normally grill vegetables or toast bread. Put a piece of parchment paper on a large cookie sheet, platter or plate. We want to have everything assembled to take out to the grill, so lay your tortillas out on the parchment. Put 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese on half of a tortilla. I chose smoked mozzarella for this recipe because it pairs nicely with the grilled taste of the tortilla. You should be able to find it in the cheese section of your local grocery store.Now cover the cheese with 3-4 tomato slices and then rip 3 basil leaves into pieces and sprinkle them on top of the tomatoes.

Cover all of that with another 1/4 cup of the cheese. Fold over the tortilla so it’s a half moon. Now repeat with the remaining tortillas. We’re going to brush the filled tortillas with olive oil. This will make them crisp up on the grill and will also ensure they don’t stick. Now out to the grill!

Place the tortillas on the grill and remove the parchment from your cookie sheet or plate (this way you will not be putting your cooked quesadillas on oil). Keep an eye on them and don’t walk away. They will take less time than you think and can burn easily (ahem, someone may have learned her lesson the hard way on that). Flip them after about 3 minutes, or when they start to turn golden. Cook another 2 minutes or until both sides are golden and the cheese is melted. If you have a quesadilla that has burned, don’t worry you can still salvage it. Just scrape what black bits off that you can (that’s certainly what I did!).

Slice each quesadilla in half and enjoy. This recipe is enough for a dinner for 2 people or snacks for a group. These capresadillas are great for the summer because they come together quickly, are easy to make and don’t require cooking in the house. It doesn’t hurt that you can also eat them with your hands! You can mix together some balsamic vinegar and olive oil for a quick dip. The next time I make these, I plan on serving them with pesto for dipping (basil on basil!).